bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Lo Hoi-ying

A pair of pandas gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing put on an energetic display as they met members of the press on Monday, days before the duo will be unveiled to the public after spending two months in quarantine.
The adult bears, male An An and female Ke Ke, spent time getting acquainted with visitors and stepping out in front of the cameras during the media preview ahead of the big day at Ocean Park on Sunday.
Curious to see the group of visitors, Ke Ke crawled cautiously towards the front of the enclosure as she followed a trail of treats left by her zookeeper.
She then stood up against the glass panel and peered inquisitively at the crowd before crawling onto her tree stump “throne” to munch on bamboo shoots.
At the neighbouring enclosure, An An was more lively and climbed up and down obstacles made out of tree branches.
He then lay in a bed of bamboo leaves while happily feasting, unbothered by the many cameras pointing at him.

While Ke Ke, whom zookeepers described as the more shy and introverted one of the couple, returned to her den after spending half an hour meeting visitors, An An spent an entire hour exploring his enclosure.
The two giant pandas will greet the public for the first time on Sunday at their new home in the park’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures section. The duo are both five years old, the equivalent of 15 human years.
A staff member at the enclosures said the number of visitors would be kept to 300 at a time to prevent overstimulating the bears.
He said the duo were no strangers to humans as they were previously on display at their old home at the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas in Chengdu.
The park has also been letting in small groups of staff over the past week to simulate public viewings, he added.


The bears were gifted to the city by Beijing on July 1 of this year to mark the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty.
They arrived in the city from Sichuan province on September 26.
Authorities earlier said the bears would need to undergo a month-long quarantine followed by at least another month to adapt to their new environment.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu previously said their new names would be announced on Saturday after more than 22,600 entries were submitted to a competition.
Panda Le Le, a long-time resident of the park, was also reintroduced to the public in November after a two-month hiatus due to the bears’ enclosure undergoing preparations.
Le Le became a father after his partner Ying Ying gave birth to twins in August.
Later on Monday, local art studio AllRightsReserved revealed 2,500 panda sculptures at Hong Kong airport as part of their “Panda Go! Fest HK”. The number of statues is a nod to the world’s remaining giant panda population.
The exhibition will rotate between four locations throughout December, starting at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars on Saturday, before heading to Ngong Ping 360, Ocean Park and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park.
Hong Kong celebrities Louis Koo Tin-lok and Charmaine Sheh Sze-man were among those who attended the installation’s launch ceremony, alongside Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Tourism Board chairman Pang Yiu-kai.

Studio founder Lam Shu-kam also revealed a lifelike giant panda mascot, which he said would make special appearances at the exhibition.
“I have had the chance to hug a real giant panda before, but that is not possible for everyone, so I created this mascot so the public would have the chance the interact with a ‘giant panda’ up close,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with the Post last month, Lam said his studio was creating a suite of characters based on the city’s six bears.
Lam said the intellectual property, or IP, for the new characters, collectively known as “Panda Friends and Family”, could be used at no charge by the government and Ocean Park.
He added that the group would take inspiration from the bears’ physical traits and personalities.


For Hong Kong’s new medical school to succeed, experience is vital

Hong Kong public may get to see panda cubs in February, Ocean Park boss says

Panda Watch: twin cubs start crawling ahead of first Christmas at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park

Hong Kong’s first pyrotechnic drone show to light up sky on December 28

Hong Kong’s pandas

Hong Kong pandas An An and Ke Ke meet the press ahead of Sunday’s public unveiling

An An meets members of the press on Monday morning. Photo: Eugene Lee

The number of visitors will be kept to 300 at a time to prevent overstimulating the bears, a staff member has said. Photo: Eugene Lee

A mascot for the “Panda Go! Fest HK” installation poses with the 2,500 statues at the city’s airport. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong’s panda twin cubs will be given ‘caring training’ at 2 to 3 years old

Hong Kong’s panda cubs. Photo: Instagram/ pandahk_official

Male giant panda An An is already undergoing “caregiving training” at the park. Photo: Oscar Liu

Howard Chuk, Ocean Park’s head of zoological operations and conservation, outside the panda enclosure. Photo: Oscar Liu

Pandas gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing to meet the public on December 8

Ke Ke the giant panda in his new habitat. Photo: Ocean Park

Giant pandas An An (pictured) and Ke Ke arrived in Hong Kong on September 26. Photo: Ocean Park

Hong Kong studio to draw on panda economy with new character IP

Creative studio AllRightsReserved has designed a suite of characters based on Hong Kong’s six pandas. Photo: AllRightsReserved

Giant panda Le Le grabs the attention at Ocean Park on Saturday. Photo: Dickson Lee

The panda sculptures for the exhibition are made out of recycled plastic. Photo: Handout

Hundreds of papier mache pandas, designed by French artist Paulo Grangeon, placed on steps leading up to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

News

Hong Kong

Hong Kong economy

Two bears gifted by Beijing to welcome visitors on Sunday at new home in Ocean Park’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures area


Two bears gifted by Beijing to welcome visitors on Sunday at new home in Ocean Park’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures area.


Ocean Park

Hong Kong tourism

Pandas